Cheapskate stories

[Iris]

I like the idea of a reusable piņata.  If it's reasonably salvageable, keeping the thing makes perfect sense. 

I've heard of young children who had a bit of distress when a piņata in the shape of an animal or person was destroyed. Having Elmo attend several parties is a nice idea. 

We also keep and reuse gift bags. So long as they're in decent condition, they can be used to package gifts for others.  If the seams are starting to go, we'll tape them up and use them to package gifts for each other.  There's nothing wrong with that.

OTOH I have been amazed and extremely amused with the ruthlessness that small children will beat a cute animal with a stick if there's LOLLIES to be had! Once when I made a pinata it was a bit tough and one particularly angelic looking girl stepped in when all others had failed, hit it hard enough to break the string holding it up and then proceeded to beat it with a stick while it lay helpless on the ground until she GOT HER LOLLIES!!!! Hilarious.

Of course this was more in the 5ish age group, I can see how it might distress very young ones.

[XRogue]

My best cheapskate story is about my uncle George. His daughter came to stay with him for 3 weeks last year while she looked for an apartment. Uncle has an unfinished apartment in his basement (In this case unfinished means the basement is finished out into a one bedroom apartment with bathroom and kitchenette. Everything is functional and walled, except there are no appliances in the kitchenette.)

Apparently Uncle didn't want to turn on the electricity in the apartment to save money. So his daughter was taking cold showers in the dark (windowless) bathroom for 10 days or so until she persuaded him to have the electric turned on. She did have a camping lantern for light. 

[SheltieMom]

My favorite bridal shower gift these days is a set of Pyrex baking dishes with the couple's monogram etched on the bottom. The set I like does not come in a box, so it is very hard to wrap and too heavy for a bag. I've started wrapping them in flour-sack towels. They don't look fancy, but at least they're practical.

[RegionMom]

My stepdad is supposed to be quite the handyman and skilled woodworker. 

he put in new floors for mom in the kitchen, and it only took just over a couple of months.  Oh, the edges do not go flush to the wall, he needs to buy/make the edging/baseboards.  But that will come sometime.

He says he is going to fix the paneling behind the stove, which currently has a plywood board over it, and holes for the electrical wires sticking out if it.  I have a baby pic of my son in someone's arms, with the plywood in the background.  Said son is now 17 1/2.

Stepdad has currently, at least since before May, been working on new cabinets for mom.  This is her on-going kitchen remodel, which began back when my kids were in junior high (now jr and sr in HS)

She told me yesterday that the cabinets are almost done!  Well, I was actually almost impressed!
Then she told me that once he finished up the last bit of work, then he has to stain them. 
Then he has to re-wire the electrical.  That means attic work.  Temps are still in the 90's.
then he has to hang them.
then do the knobs/handles.
etc...

I realized they may not be done by Christmas.

But, she is saving money by having him do it! 

Oh, both are full-time retired, and financially secure. 

She would rather be put out for months, and annoyed for years, than pay a contractor to get it done.

We had laminate flooring installed this year and it was done in 1 1/2 days, including moving the furniture, hauling off the carpet, cutting around weird corners, painting and installing matching baseboards, and re-placing the furniture.

I think I got the better deal.

[Tiamet]

I think this is a fairly good definition of a cheapskate - someone who will accept massive inconvenience and personal discomfort (and be happy to inflict said discomfort on others) to save a few dollars.  Doing something that saves money without significant trouble (like taking a coffee from home not going to a coffee shop) is just being thrifty.

[rain]

my dad would insist that anything a pro could do he could be better and cheaper (never saw proof of that)

there was one year that we were missing part of an outside wall & dad never did get around to finishing that project ... once mom had proof that she needed to hire it done (it was late enough in the fall that we could see our breath in the mornings) she got someone else to finish it. 

Mom (& the neighbors) learned not to mention anything that might be overheard by dad ... so that mom could hire it done without dad trying to do it himself

[Shalamar]

I think I've mentioned him before, but I have a coworker who took four years to do his inground pool himself.   FOUR YEARS!   And he can't stop bragging about how much money he saved.  'Kay.